Monday, 29 May 2017

Sweet woodruff

This is a lovely little plant often ignored or even just missed when it grows on the forest floor..

Though not so much edible as more useful as a bush tea, it has been used in Germany to flavour wine. It is also slightly antiseptic so if other more medicinal plants can't be found it is useful for a wound wash.

Easily recognisable due to it's leaves as they circle the stem and also it's little white flowers, it's most traditional use was as a strewing herb. It's scent, of fresh hay, increases as it dries and it stays rather well over time.

It's very effective as a moth repellent so was often put in drawers to keep the cloth nibbling varmints at bay.

It was once hung in churches to ward off evil and it is often used to symbolise humility and coyness.